MRLD: Little Gems
by Firehawk242
Summary: A collection of character shorts associated with my story MRLD. Unless stated otherwise, all stories contained within this fic are canon to MRLD. Enjoy!
1. Introduction

Hello, and welcome. This is a collection of little one-shot shorts featuring some of the characters from my story MRLD. Why is this here you ask? Well that's a very good question. Simply put, I had a bunch of ideas that I wanted to use for various characters, but there was no way I could fit them into the actual story itself due to its first person single narrator format. So, I decided to put them here. If you haven't read MRLD, you will probably be very confused, so I suggest you read that first.

Anyways, on to the actual story stuff. Warning: The little shorts are in no particular order and may jump around in time a bit. The approximate date of each chapter can be found at the top of the chapter, so make sure to check if you're confused. With that said, enjoy the show.


	2. Miranda 1

**Remnant: August 2943 A.D. (After Dust)  
Earth: August 2010 C.E.**

"Bye mom!" Miranda said, hugging the tall, dark-skinned woman who had driven her here.

"Have a good year," Coral Corees said fondly. "Don't forget to write."

"I will," Miranda said. "Tell Momma I love her."

"I will," Coral said. "Now get going, I'm sure your friends will be happy to see you again."

"Right," Miranda said. "Bye!" She hurried off towards the gates of Signal Academy.

Coral smiled and shook her head. Completely unrecognizable from the little six year old girl she and her wife had chosen to adopt all those years ago. She got back in the car and started her trip home.

* * *

"'Randa! There you are!" a girl with green hair said, making her way over to Miranda. "How was your break?"

"Hey Ezzie!" Miranda said. "It was great. How was yours?"

"Good," the girl said. "And you know I don't like that nickname. I'm Esmerelda, remember?"

"But you're so cute when you pout!" Miranda said.

"But I don't like it!"

"But it's cute!"

"Fine," Esmerelda said. "I never win this argument with you anyways."

"Nope!"

"So," Esmerelda said. "There's a new student this year."

"It's a new year," Miranda said. "Of course there are new students, silly!"

"No, I meant a new older student," Esmerelda said. "See? Over there." She pointed, picking out a boy with green hair that was a shade or two lighter than hers. "I wonder what he's doing here?"

"You could ask Nyx," Miranda said. "She knows everything."

"She's creepy," Esmerelda said.

"She's pretty," Miranda corrected. "And she's nice."

"Whatever," Esmerelda said. "You always see the best in people anyways."

"Yep!" Miranda said. "Life's more fun that way!"

"If you say so," Esmerelda said. "Hey... Miranda, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"What?"

"You don't look like either of your moms, do you?" Esmerelda said.

"No," Miranda said, her sunny disposition turning a bit gloomier. "That's because I wasn't their baby."

"So they're not your real parents?" Esmerelda asked.

SMACK!

The green haired girl reeled back, her face stinging where Miranda had slapped her.

"You take that back!" Miranda said. "You take that back right now!"

"What?" Esmerelda said. "Why?"

"Mom and Momma are my real parents!" Miranda said. "They're the best parents I've ever had! They love me and take care of me and keep me safe!"

"But they're not your real parents," Esmerelda insisted. "If you weren't their baby then-"

"No," Miranda said. "They are my real parents. You take that back. You take it back right now."

"I-" Esmerelda said.

"Take it back," Miranda said.

"I'm sorry," Esmerelda said. "I take it back. I'm sorry."

"Good," Miranda said. "Don't ever say that again."

"I'm sorry, Miranda," Esmerelda said, glancing around awkwardly. "I... Oh, there's Tommy! I should go say hi to him! See you later!" She rushed off. Miranda leaned back against a nearby wall and slid down it to land on the floor with a quiet thump. Tears pricked at her eyes. She didn't like fighting with her friend, but Mom and Momma were her real parents! They didn't care that they weren't related, and neither did Miranda!

"Hey there," a voice said. "I heard you talking about me."

Miranda looked up at the source of the voice. "Hi Nyx," she said.

Nyx looked at her for a long minute, then sat down next to her. "You look like you need a hug. Do you want a hug?"

Miranda looked at the other girl. "Yes please?" she said with a weak smile.

* * *

Coral sat down at the dinner table across from her wife, Amber. "Miranda said to tell you she loves you," Coral said.

"Did she?" Amber said. "That's sweet of her."

"She's always sweet," Coral said. "...Amber, are we certain Signal's the best place for her?"

"No," Amber sighed. "But it's what she wants, and it's not like I can say no to her if she wants to become a Huntress."

"I think she wants to follow in your footsteps," Coral said. "She really looks up to you."

"I know," Amber said. "After what happened with her father..."

"You were the one who rescued her from that... person, and then brought her to a safe and loving home," Coral said. "In her place, I'd look up to you too."

"I know," Amber said. "I wish I didn't have to travel so much for work. I hardly get to see her these days. How's she been doing?"

"Well," Coral said. "You saw her report card from last year. I'm still not sure Signal is the right place for her, but she's certainly got the talent for it."

"That's not what I was asking about," Amber said. "I know she's got the talent, but how is she really?"

"...Better," Coral said. "She still doesn't have any boys she's friends with, but she's not afraid of them anymore."

"That's good," Amber said, then shook her head. "Sometimes I almost wish one of us was male. It might have helped her recover faster."

"Or scared her away," Coral said. "She's doing better. That's something at least."

"I know," Amber said. "She's happy?"

"I think so," Coral said. "I think it's more than just pretend these days."

"Good," Amber said. "She deserves to be happy."

"And she will be," Coral said. "Now, what would the heroine like for her victory feast?"

"Something hot, edible, and preferably tasty," Amber said.

"How very specific," Coral said. "Let me see what we've got."


	3. Nyx 1

**Remnant: April 2946 A.D. (After Dust)  
Earth: April 2013 C.E.**

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Nyx said to the girl beside her.

"I introduced you to my parents," Miranda said. "Now I get to meet your parents. It's fair, see?"

"Yes, but you get along with your parents," Nyx said. "You've never seen me and my mom together. I don't want you to get involved in that."

"I'll be fine," Miranda said. "I'm sure she's a nice lady."

"And I'm sure you're wrong," Nyx said. "You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

"Last chance to back out of this," Nyx said as the two got off the bus in front of Nyx's house. Not her home though. It hadn't been her home since she'd started at Signal three years ago.

"Come on, I want to meet your parents!" Miranda said.

"Alright," Nyx said reluctantly. "I warned you." She lead the other girl up the steps to the door, took a deep breath, then knocked.

The door opened, revealing a woman with dark hair. "Nyx! What are you doing back in the middle of the semester?"

"I can't just come visit for a weekend?" Nyx asked.

"Yes, but you never do," Nyx's mother said.

"And whose fault is that?" Nyx muttered, before raising her voice again. "I just wanted to see you again. Is dad home?"

"Not at the moment," Nyx's mother said. "Come in!"

"Your mom seems nice," Miranda said as she followed Nyx into the house.

"Wait for it," Nyx said. "You'll know it when you see it."

"So Nyx, who's your friend?" the woman asked.

"Hi, my name's Miranda," Miranda said. "It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Nyx's mother said. "So, Nyx, why are you here?"

"I have something important I wanted to tell you," Nyx said.

"Have you finally come to your senses then?" the woman asked.

"No, mom," Nyx said sharply. "Stop asking."

"Nyx, I only want what's best for you," she said. "You have so much potential. Why are you throwing it away?"

"I'm not throwing anything away!" Nyx said. "This is what I want to do with my life!"

"You're making a mistake," Nyx's mother said. "Why can't you see it? You could do so much with your powers! You're only hurting yourself and others by playing at being a Huntress."

"That's it!" Nyx said. "I'm not playing at being a Huntress, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life chained to my Semblance! I want to be more than that, and if you knew me at all, you'd understand that!" Her voice had risen to a shout.

"Nyx!" the woman said. "I am your mother! You will respect me as such!"

"Then start acting like it!" Nyx snapped back. "Stop trying to control my life and let me be me! I don't want the same things you do! I don't want to be rich and safe! I want to be a Huntress! Why can't you understand that?"

"Because you're wrong!" the woman said. "You're ruining your life!"

"I'm doing no such thing!" Nyx said, then took a deep breath. "I wanted to have a nice day today. I wanted to introduce Miranda to you. Might as well get that out of the way right now. Meet Miranda, my new girlfriend."

"Hi," Miranda said.

"Hello," Nyx's mother said.

"And before you get your hopes up, _mother_ ," Nyx said, "Miranda is one of my classmates at Signal. She's not likely to try to convince me to give up my dreams, unlike certain people I could mention."

"I am your mother!"

"If you start acting like it again, I'll start treating you like it again," Nyx said. "Miranda, I'm sorry, but we're leaving. Goodbye, moth-, no. Goodbye, Cala. Maybe you'll see me again when I graduate from Signal. Don't count on it though. Tell my father I said hello." Nyx turned and swept back out of the house.

"Sorry," Miranda said to the stunned woman before following her girlfriend.

Cala Chrysander could only watch as her daughter hugged her girlfriend, threw one last glare back into the house, then slammed the door behind her.


	4. Nyx 2

**Remnant: June 2941 A.D. (After Dust)  
Earth: June 2008 C.E.**

"Got you again, Uncle Raja!" Nyx said.

"Yes, you did," the faunus said, flicking his lightly singed tail around a bit. "You're getting pretty good with that stuff."

"Thanks Uncle. It's a lot of fun too. Can I try some Burn Dust this time?" the little eleven year old girl asked.

Raja considered for a moment, checking his scroll. Yeah, he had enough Aura for another round. "Alright, but only because you've been good."

"Thank you!" Nyx said, rushing over to a bench with various Dust bottles scattered across its surface. She found a red one and poured out a tiny pile of the red powder into her hand. "Okay, I'm ready!"

"Alright," Raja said. "Now remember, Burn Dust works differently from Lightning Dust. You have to make sure you aim properly, but you also don't have to worry about things like metal pulling the attack off target."

"Got it!" Nyx said. "Can we start now?"

"Of course, kiddo," Raja said laughing as he started to move.

* * *

"You're really good with Dust," Raja said.

"Thanks, Uncle," Nyx said with a smile.

"You know, if you keep practicing, you could become a Huntress someday," he said.

"Yeah," Nyx said, her smile fading as she kicked at the ground. "Maybe."

"What's the matter?" Raja asked. "I though you liked the idea of being a Huntress."

"I do," Nyx said. "Mom doesn't like it though. She says that I should find a job in Vale, make money, and stay safe."

"What about your dad?"

"He never says anything about it," Nyx said. "He probably just agrees with mom."

"I see," Raja said. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to be a Huntress," Nyx said. "But mom'll never let me go to Signal, and if I don't go to Signal next year, I'll never make it to Beacon."

"There are other ways into Beacon," Raja said. "Signal's just the easiest."

"I know," Nyx said. "But mom won't let me."

Raja considered his niece for a moment. He knew that she had him wrapped around her finger. He'd never been able to deny her anything, even over her mother's objections. Even things the girl really had no business knowing, like how to hack into a computer. That was his own fault. She'd caught him working on a phone for a client, and wanted to know how he'd gotten in without the password. She was a smart girl, that was for certain. And now she wanted to be a Huntress. He was probably to blame for that one too.

"Nyx," he said. "You want to be a Huntress, right?"

"Yes," Nyx said.

"How much?" he challenged.

"A lot," Nyx said. "I don't want to be safe. I want to do things. Maybe help people."

"Could you promise you'd put in your best effort if you did get to go?" Raja asked.

The girl looked up at him sharply. "I'd work as hard as I had to," she said. "And then maybe a little harder, just to be sure."

"Alright," he said. "I'll talk to your dad about it. Maybe I can convince him to let you try it. But only if you are willing to put in the effort. You have to promise me that you'll do your best."

"I promise, Uncle!" Nyx said. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Alright, alright!" he said with a laugh. "I can't promise anything, but maybe I can convince my brother to give you a chance. Now c'mon, let's go get something for lunch, huh?"

"Sure!" Nyx said, practically skipping with excitement as she made her way to the house.

Raja followed at a more sedate pace. Was this really the right thing for him to do, or was he letting his own rebellious tendencies mislead him? It was too late for him to change his mind now. At least her rebellion would benefit society. He thought back to his own misspent youth, and the bone white mask he still kept, locked away in a box in his bedroom. No, better that she get the opportunity to help others, rather than repeat the mistakes of the past.


	5. Kevin 1

**Remnant: October 2942 A.D. (After Dust)  
Earth: October 2009 C.E.**

"Who can answer the question on the board?" Ms. Agiletti asked her class.

A hand immediately rose from the middle of the class.

"Let's see someone other than Kevin today," Ms. Aglietti said.

The hand retreated back to its owner's desk.

"Dude, can you ever _not_ raise your hand?" the blonde seventeen year old to the hand's immediate left asked.

"Sorry Jackson, force of habit," Kevin said, wincing slightly. "Sorry."

"Well tone it down a bit," Jackson said. "Seriously, are your hands filled with Helium? We already know you're smart, you don't need to keep proving it. "

"I know, but..." Kevin trailed off.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jackson said. "You know a lot and like to share. If I wasn't your friend I'd probably be annoyed that the fifteen year old has a better grade than I do."

"I'll be sixteen in March," Kevin grumbled.

"Yeah, but you still look like a freshman," the blonde boy said.

"What does that mean?" Kevin demanded.

"Socially awkward dork," Jackson said cheerfully.

"That's because I am a socially awkward dork," Kevin said. "Can we pay attention to class now?"

"Only because you asked so nicely," Jackson said.

* * *

"So," Jackson said as they made their way out of the last class of the day. "Are you ever going to go to a dance?"

"I went to homecoming," Kevin said. "You should know, given that you're the one who dragged me into it."

"Really?" Jackson said sarcastically. "Funny, I don't think I ever saw you there, given that you were hiding in the other room the whole night."

"I don't dance," Kevin said.

"You don't date either," Jackson said. "Seriously, high school's already half over. Are you planning to go through your whole high school career without ever asking a girl out? You're a nerd, not a priest."

"Who would I even ask?" Kevin said. "As you just pointed out, I'm a nerd, and a socially awkward dork. Name me a girl who'd say yes."

"Elizabeth?" Jackson suggested. "You two go way back, don't you?"

"Wrong pick," Kevin said. "She hates dances even more than I do. Something about 'the superficial and transitory nature of high school romances', or something like that."

"Well, who would you ask, assuming you knew you wouldn't be rejected?" Jackson asked.

"Uh... Heather," Kevin said, his face turning red.

"Really?" Jackson said. "Way to aim high, Kev. You do know she's way out of your league, right?"

"Thanks for reminding me," Kevin grumbled. "She's pretty, smart, and she's nice too. I doubt she'd even think about me like that though."

"Yeah, she likes to bestow the favor of her kindness on the unworthy," Jackson said. "Tell you what, I'll make a bet with you."

"I don't trust you," Kevin said. "You're a master of the sucker bet."

"Not this time," Jackson said. "This time I'm taking the long shot."

"I still don't trust you, but go ahead," Kevin said. "What's the bet?"

"I'm betting that Heather's going to ask you to the Sadie Hawkins this year," Jackson said without a trace of humor.

Kevin stared at his friend blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing. "You've got to be kidding," Kevin said, gasping for breath. "There's no way that'll ever happen."

"Bet you I'm right," Jackson said with a smirk.

"I'll take that bet," Kevin said. "What are the stakes?"

"If I'm right, you help me with that project for English," Jackson said.

"You know I was going to do that anyways, right?" Kevin said. "Alright, fine. If I win... I know, you have to try one of my favorite shows."

"You keep trying to get me into that anime stuff of yours," Jackson said. "I swear, it's never going to happen."

"Deal?" Kevin asked.

"Deal," Jackson said. "Oh, hey, there's Heather now."

"And?" Kevin asked. "The Sadie Hawkins isn't for another month. No one's going to be asking anyone just yet."

"Yeah, but I think I can win right now," Jackson said. "C'mon." He grabbed Kevin by the wrist and pulled him through the crowd towards the girl in question.

"Did you hit your head this morning or something?" Kevin muttered as he was towed along.

"Hey Heather," Jackson said, coming to a stop in front of her.

"Hello Jackson," Heather said. "Is there a reason you're dragging Kevin around?"

"That's what I'd like to know as well," Kevin muttered.

"Yep," Jackson said. "You see, he's seriously crushing on you, but he's never going to actually ask you out because he's a wuss." Kevin promptly turned tomato red in mortification.

"I see," Heather said, somewhat bemused.

"Yep," Jackson said. "Pretty pathetic if you ask me. Still, once you look past the nerdy awkwardness and inability to ask a pretty girl out, he's actually a pretty decent guy."

"I kind of knew that part already," Heather said. "He's certainly better than most of the people I deal with around here."

"Yep," Jackson said. "Guy like that deserves a chance, even if he's too dumb to take it, right?"

"I can see that," Heather said with a smile. Kevin for his part was caught between utter humiliation and utter confusion, resulting in him looking like some brightly colored exotic fish.

"Anyways," Jackson said. "The Sadie Hawkins is coming up, and if you don't have someone else in mind, I figure Kevin could use someone to show him what an actual dance is like."

Heather considered for a moment. "Yeah, that'll work," she said. "I didn't really have anyone I was planning to ask anyways. How about it Kevin? Would you like to go to the dance with me?"

"I- I- Yes?" Kevin stammered out.

"Great," Heather said. "I guess I'll see you there. And maybe before then too, if you'd like."

"Uh, sure," Kevin said. "I'll... see you around, I guess?"

"Sure thing," Heather said. "And there's my bus. Gotta run."

There was a moment of silence.

"Dude, close your mouth," Jackson said. "You'll catch flies."

"How... How did you do that?" Kevin asked. "What kind of magic are you using to make me hallucinate things?"

"It's called 'confidence'," Jackson said. "So, do I win the bet?"


	6. Kevin 2

**Remnant: Late September 2940 A.D. (After Dust)  
Earth: Late September 2007 C.E.**

Jackson Delane walked through the hall on his way to his study hall. High school was turning out to be a lot harder than middle school was, and he was glad for the extra study time the empty space in his schedule gave him. Keeping up with the increased work load and his place on the track team was not easy.

He turned left and came upon a very ugly scene.

"How's it feel now, you little freak!" That was Tedd, one of Jackson's teammates, accompanied by two of his friends. The cringing little ball on the floor that couldn't be older than twelve was an unknown though. "Can't cheat your way out of this, can you?" Tedd demanded, kicking at the kid again.

Jackson was caught between an urge to step in and an urge to get help. Before he could do either though, the little ball made his own decision. Snarling, literally snarling like an animal, the battered kid leapt to his feet and went straight for Tedd. If Tedd had merely been trying to cause pain, the kid's counterattack held no such restraint. It was like watching a cornered animal attack, fighting back with desperate fury.

A small fist struck Tedd's eye with enough force to leave it black for weeks. Fingernails raked across Tedd's arm, drawing blood. A knee found its way to his stomach, driving the air out of him. He staggered back under the unexpected ferocity, falling to the ground. The kid jumped after him, intent on finishing the fight, but Tedd's friends grabbed the kid and hurled him back. He hit the floor hard and skidded, but he was quickly back on his feet and snarling again. Then he caught sight of Tedd's battered form and froze. The wild light left his eyes and he seemed to shrink into himself. He started trembling as he stared down at his hands. Then he turned and ran.

"What the hell?" Tedd demanded as the kid ran. "Freak!"

Jackson had seen enough. Ignoring his already well-tended to teammate, he rushed after the kid.

* * *

Jackson found the boy curled up into a ball in an out of the way corner, his legs pulled up against his chest and his face buried in his knees as a faint whimpering sound escaped from him.

"Hey, you alright?" Jackson asked.

The boy looked up, his cheeks streaked with tears. "Who are you?"

"Jackson," Jackson said. "You?"

"Kevin," the kid said.

"What was that about?" Jackson asked.

"I-I'm in advanced math," Kevin said. "I'm taking Pre-Calc this year."

"You're in Tedd's math class, aren't you?" Jackson asked.

"Y-yeah," Kevin said. "I did really well on the first test."

"And Tedd thought you cheated?" Jackson asked.

"I guess," Kevin said. "I... I don't think he liked losing to me."

"Well you're what, twelve?" Jackson said.

"Thirteen!" Kevin corrected.

"Fine," Jackson said. "A really runty thirteen then. I'm only two years older than you and I wouldn't like losing to you either."

"But would you attack me?" Kevin challenged.

"Well, no," Jackson said. "Tedd shouldn't have done that. But what was up with you? One moment you're just lying there and taking it, the next you're all Wolverine and beating the crap out of him, and then you have some sort of mental breakdown and run away. What was that about?"

"I... I don't know what happened," Kevin said. "He kept hitting me and I got so angry, and then... and then he was on the floor. I didn't even know I could do that. I didn't want to do it!"

"Easy there," Jackson said. "You were defending yourself. He was the one being a jerk."

"Why aren't you on his side?" Kevin asked.

"What?" Jackson asked. "Why would I be on his side?"

"Because I've seen you with him," Kevin said. "Aren't you both on the Track Team or something?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm going to help him beat up a kid," Jackson said. "He was being a bully. I don't like bullies."

"Me neither," Kevin said, tightening his defensive ball. "I just wish they'd leave me alone."

"You have a lot of problems like this?" Jackson asked.

"Not like this," Kevin said. "They're not this bad. The others, I mean."

"I see," Jackson said. "Hey, how bad are you hurt?"

"Not too bad," Kevin said. "Just bruises, I think."

"You should go to the Nurse's Office," Jackson said. "Just to be safe."

"I don't want to go anywhere right now," Kevin said, burying his face in his knees again.

"You're just going to stay here all day?" Jackson asked.

"I have lunch right now," Kevin said. "It doesn't matter. I'll go to my next class later."

Jackson considered his options for a moment before making his decision. "I have to go now and check in with my study hall teacher. I'll be back in a few minutes with food and the nurse, got it?"

"You don't have to-" Kevin said weakly.

"Yes, I do," Jackson said. "Stay right there. I'll be back in a bit."

"You don't have to..." Kevin said as Jackson rose and started sprinting off.

* * *

"Is he going to be okay?" Jackson asked.

"He's going to have some serious bruises on his side for a while," Nurse Hallopy said as she packed up the first aid kit she'd brought with her. "That, and that cut on his chin is going to take some time to heal. Still, all things considered, he's doing better than the other guy."

"Is Kevin going to get in trouble for this?" Jackson asked. "He was just defending himself."

"We'll have to see," Nurse Hallopy said. "After taking everyone's stories... I'll see what I can do with my recommendation, sound good?"

"Thanks," Jackson said.

"The least I could do," Hallopy said. "Thank you for finding him for us."

"He needed help," Jackson said.

"You're a good kid, Jackson," Hallopy said. "You're not missing anything important right now?"

"Just study hall," Jackson said.

"Stay with him, then, I'll write you an excuse," she said. "I'd take him to my office, but Tedd's there right now."

"Yeah, bad idea," Jackson said. "I'll keep an eye on him for now."

"Good," she said. "I have to get back to my work. And of course I have the incident report to file."

"Thanks again," Jackson said as she rose and left.

"Why?" Kevin croaked out from his spot in the corner. He'd come out of his ball and was slowly eating the food Jackson had brought.

"Why what?" Jackson asked.

"Why did you do all this?" Kevin asked. "You don't even know me."

"And that means I can't help someone in need?" Jackson asked.

"No..." Kevin said. "But why would you? I'm a freak."

"No, you're not," Jackson said. "You're a bit different from everyone else, but you're not a freak. And even if you were, I'd still have done it."

Kevin stared at Jackson with a look of utter disbelief. "You're not real. You can't be."

"I'm pretty sure I'm real," Jackson said. "At least, I was the last time I checked."

"No one is this nice to me," Kevin said. "And definitely not people I don't know."

"Well you know me now," Jackson said. "Friends?"

"Assuming you're not a hallucination of mine?" Kevin said. "Friends."


	7. Drake 1

**Remnant: December 2946 A.D. (After Dust)  
Earth: December 2013 C.E.**

Team DMND of Beacon was in their dorm room. They were frequently found there, doing one thing or another. Today, with the academic finals coming up, they were studying. Well, most of them were studying.

"What are you planning to do for Winter Break?" Drake asked his partner.

"Nothing," Nyx said. "I'm staying at Beacon. I might visit Miranda at her house, but that's it."

"Really?" Drake asked. "You're not going to visit your family?"

"No," Nyx said in a cold and brittle voice.

"That's a shame," Drake said, utterly oblivious to to his teammate's discomfort. "I'm going to visit my family. It's nice to be able to go home and have fun with family. My mom makes the best pies. Have I told you about her?"

"Yes," Nyx said, gritting her teeth.

"I thought I had," Drake said. "Anyways, she makes these really good pies, but she only makes them for New Years. Says they're too much work to make any other time of the year. It's a shame too, they're really good. Hey, I don't think you've ever told me about your family."

"No, I haven't," Nyx said, silently willing Drake to drop the topic.

"What are they like?" Drake asked. "I bet your mom's cool too."

"Drake," Nyx said, a warning tone in her voice.

"What?" he asked, oblivious as usual.

"Drop it," Nyx said.

"Why?" Drake said. "I mean, I've talked about my parents, Dawn's mentioned hers, though I don't get why she's so nervous about them. Shouldn't you be comfortable about your parents? I don't know. And Miranda's talked about her moms. By the way, Miranda, your moms adopted you, right? Did you know your birth parents? What were they like?"

"Drake," Nyx said.

"What?" Drake asked.

"If you enjoy being conscious, I suggest you shut up right now," Nyx said.

"Huh?" Drake asked. Then he took a moment to observe his surroundings. The most prominent feature was the three women staring at him. None of them looked particularly happy with him. A sudden chill went down his spine. "Oh," Drake squeaked. "I'll be quiet now."

"Good," Dawn said. "Try studying. Your grades could use some help."

"Okay," he said, quickly turning back to his textbook. Apparently his teammates didn't like their studies being interrupted. Who knew?


End file.
